Boot and shoe tree.



No. 804,998. PATENTED NOV. 21, 1905.

W W BEALS BOOT AND SHOE TREE. APPLICATION rum) JULY 5, 1904.

INVENTUR CU. Uf.@m&

ATTORNEYJ.

WALTON WINDSOR BEALS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

BOOT AND SHOE TREE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 21, 1905.

Application filed July 5, 1904- Serial No. 215,219.

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WAL'roN W INDSOR BEALS, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of New York, county of New York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Boot andShoe Trees, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to boot and shoe trees, and has for its object to provide a durable and simply-constructed device of this character which is susceptible of adjustment for use in shoes of different sizes, a further object being to provide means for extending the length of the tree after it is placed within the shoe.

The invention will be hereinafter fully described and specifically set forth in the annexed claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is a side view of my improved tree, showing parts thereof broken away in sectional elevation, and Fig. 2 is a plan View also having parts broken away.

In the practice of my invention I employ a toe or vamp section A and heel-section B. These are composed of wood or other suitable material and formed after the pattern of a shoe-last. The section A is provided with a centrally-located slot (0 for accommodating a stiff metallic lever C, which is pivoted to a removable pin D, which is in frictional contact with a transverse opening a, extended through the rearward part of the vamp-section A of the tree. The said pin has a head d,'which is countersunk within a recess a whereby it is out of the way and does not contact with the inside of the shoe-vamp when the device is in use, while at the same time it is readily removable for the purpose of adjusting the tree to difl'erent lengths. As a means for varying the length of the tree the lever C is provided with a plurality of openings 0, adapted for alternate engagement with the pivot-pin D. The said lever is also preferably provided with a handle C. The free end of the lever G is T-shaped in plan, whereby lateral extensions 0' are provided for engaging the channels 6 of the T-shaped recess 6, which is formed in the heel-section B. To maintain connection between the free end of the lever O and heelsection B, a stop embodying a staple E is placed across the recess 6 in such a position as to allow the lateral projections c of the lever end to leave the channels 6, but still prevent detachment of the heel-section B.

In the operation and use of the invention the lever C is pivoted to the pin D through the medium of any arbitrarily-selected one of its holes 0, depending upon the length of tree desired. Then the tree is placed within the shoe, with the lever C lifted to its highest point, and the heel-section B moved forwardly, as illustrated by dotted lines, Fig. 1 of the drawings, after which the lever C is pushed downwardly until its free' end contacts with the bottom of the recess 5, as shown by full lines, Fig. 1 of the drawings. This operation of the lever automatically extends the length of the tree and tightly jams it in place within the shoe, because of the fact that the free end of said lever describes an arc of a circle and its lateral extensions 0 move within the vertical channels 6 of the recess 6. It will be noted that the free end of the lever C when the tree is extended occupies a position below the horizontal plane occupied by the pivot D, thus maintaining the extended position of the two parts of the tree and preventing the free end of the lever from slipping upwardly and accidentally contracting the tree while it is in use in a shoe. To remove the tree, it is obvious that an upward movement of the free end of the lever C automatically moves the two treesections toward each other, whereby the length of the tree is shortened to such an extent as to admit of its easy removal from the shoe.

I do not confine myself to the specific mechanical details of construction and contour of the parts as herein shown and described, as it is obvious that under the scope of my invention I am entitled to necessary structural variation required for shoes or boots of different styles.

Having thus described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to procure by Letters Patent, is

1. A boot and shoe tree comprising a heelsection, a vamp-section, a lever connecting said sections, one of said sections having an upwardly-disposed recess that opens through a wall thereof, a removable stop carried by said section extending across the recess to prevent the lever from passing out of said recess in use, said recess having an extended part which opens through the inner vertical wall of said section, the inner portion of the recess being wider than the extended part thereof, said lever having an extension mov- IIO heel-section opposite the vamp-section, said extension of the lever being located in the wide part of the recess and the main part of the lever traveling in the narrow part of the recess, said recess opening through one end of the section, and a removable stop crossing the open end of the recess, the rear and sides of the heel-section being unbroken to prevent the extension on the lever from engaging a shoe, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name, in presence of two witnesses, this 29th day of June,

WALTON WINDSOR BEALS. Witnesses:

C. 0. Dow, M. SHIPLEYJ 

